Meike Escher (nom de plume)
After earning a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology I volunteered for two years with AmeriCorps and am currently a project coordinator for a state agency, working in forest health issues. I am now looking forward to returning to school and working toward a masters degree in Natural Resources after four years of entry and mid-level professional work. Most of my work experience has been in forest entomology but I have also dabbled in sustainable agriculture and conservation land stewardship.
Why are you in this field?
From a young age I have seen the world through ecology and my most valuable lessons were learned from the forests around my home. While an undergraduate student I struggled to find a subject I identified with as closely. After perusing the social sciences I spontaneously registered for an Endangered Species seminar and realized my passion could become a career. During college I also worked as a summer technician in a nearby forest health lab. This job helped me realize that I could not only have a career in ecology, but in insects, an often overlooked but incredible force dictating and responding to ecosystem health and function. Invasive insects can wipe out entire tree species, while others comprise some of the building blocks of the forest environment. I am completely fascinated with the role invisible insects play in our familiar world. I am also involved in the fields of land stewardship and forest health protection because, like many of you, my sense of identity and home is inexorably tied into the micro-systems of my home region. Protecting and caring for the natural spaces of New England that have been a lifelong classroom for me feels like the best use of the time I have.
What inspires you?
Knowing that nature and ecology are immeasurably complex and there is always a lesson to be learned from them. I also love sharing experiences in nature with others. The most fun part of my current position is the amount of time I can dedicate to sharing my knowledge with others while also learning from them. During educational walks someone always excitedly points out a birdcall I never noticed or the story behind a geological feature I had not considered. I also feel very driven toward strengthening and celebrating local, sustainable agriculture. Forestry, ecology, and sustainable agriculture are necessary partners in the northeast where farms are cut out of the forest patchwork and engage constantly with the species and nutrient cycles of our woodlands. My interest in farming also stems from an undeniable love for delicious, healthful foods.
Where would you like to see the field go in the future?
In recent years forestry and wildlife biology have begun to fuse, informing the use of forestry in creating wildlife habitats while accomplishing landowner goals and turning a decent profit (without which forestry on private lands could not exist). This fusion is slowly becoming more mainstream, but I would like to see it expand further to include use of forest management techniques to respond to forest pests and diseases. I also believe forestry has had a bad rap for many years due to a gap in communication. Land managers and members of the public must find more and better opportunities to discuss the goals of sound forestry practices and to re-engage in a trustful relationship. Many land trusts, state governments, and others have been lauded for doing just that through the use of pre-harvest woodlot tours, outreach programs, and engaging constituents in deciding on property management goals. I would also like to see this improved relationship decrease the amount of actually harmful forestry being conducted in New England; an educated and engaged public will know the difference. This positive working relationship could be revolutionary in improving the landscapes of the future.
After earning a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology I volunteered for two years with AmeriCorps and am currently a project coordinator for a state agency, working in forest health issues. I am now looking forward to returning to school and working toward a masters degree in Natural Resources after four years of entry and mid-level professional work. Most of my work experience has been in forest entomology but I have also dabbled in sustainable agriculture and conservation land stewardship.
Why are you in this field?
From a young age I have seen the world through ecology and my most valuable lessons were learned from the forests around my home. While an undergraduate student I struggled to find a subject I identified with as closely. After perusing the social sciences I spontaneously registered for an Endangered Species seminar and realized my passion could become a career. During college I also worked as a summer technician in a nearby forest health lab. This job helped me realize that I could not only have a career in ecology, but in insects, an often overlooked but incredible force dictating and responding to ecosystem health and function. Invasive insects can wipe out entire tree species, while others comprise some of the building blocks of the forest environment. I am completely fascinated with the role invisible insects play in our familiar world. I am also involved in the fields of land stewardship and forest health protection because, like many of you, my sense of identity and home is inexorably tied into the micro-systems of my home region. Protecting and caring for the natural spaces of New England that have been a lifelong classroom for me feels like the best use of the time I have.
What inspires you?
Knowing that nature and ecology are immeasurably complex and there is always a lesson to be learned from them. I also love sharing experiences in nature with others. The most fun part of my current position is the amount of time I can dedicate to sharing my knowledge with others while also learning from them. During educational walks someone always excitedly points out a birdcall I never noticed or the story behind a geological feature I had not considered. I also feel very driven toward strengthening and celebrating local, sustainable agriculture. Forestry, ecology, and sustainable agriculture are necessary partners in the northeast where farms are cut out of the forest patchwork and engage constantly with the species and nutrient cycles of our woodlands. My interest in farming also stems from an undeniable love for delicious, healthful foods.
Where would you like to see the field go in the future?
In recent years forestry and wildlife biology have begun to fuse, informing the use of forestry in creating wildlife habitats while accomplishing landowner goals and turning a decent profit (without which forestry on private lands could not exist). This fusion is slowly becoming more mainstream, but I would like to see it expand further to include use of forest management techniques to respond to forest pests and diseases. I also believe forestry has had a bad rap for many years due to a gap in communication. Land managers and members of the public must find more and better opportunities to discuss the goals of sound forestry practices and to re-engage in a trustful relationship. Many land trusts, state governments, and others have been lauded for doing just that through the use of pre-harvest woodlot tours, outreach programs, and engaging constituents in deciding on property management goals. I would also like to see this improved relationship decrease the amount of actually harmful forestry being conducted in New England; an educated and engaged public will know the difference. This positive working relationship could be revolutionary in improving the landscapes of the future.